Three Huskers Earn ABCA All-Region Honors

By NU Athletic Communications

| 06/10/2008

Mitch Abeita was one of three Huskers to earn ABCA All-Midwest Region honors

Photo by Scott Bruhn/Nebraska Communications

Lincoln – The University of Nebraska baseball players were honored Tuesday with their selections on the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Midwest All-Region Team. Catcher Mitch Abeita was a first-team all-region selection, while second baseman Jake Opitz and starting pitcher Johnny Dorn were both second-team selections.

Abeita, a 19th- round pick by the New York Yankees, in last week’s draft, hit .337 with 10 homers and 49 RBIs en route to being named a Johnny Bench Award semifinalist. The All-Big 12 selection was among the conference leaders in batting average (19th), on-base percentage (.471, third) and walks (43, fourth), while ranking second on the squad in homers, RBIs and batting average. Abeita reached safely via hit or walk in 54 of 56 games while his 10 homers were the most by a Husker catcher since All-American Jed Morrris hit 23 in 2002.

Dorn earned second-team all-region accolades after compiling a 6-2 record and a 2.45 ERA in 15 starts this season. A 15th-round choice of the Florida Marlins, Dorn ranked second in the Big 12 with 102 strikeouts and was among the top five of the conference in opponent batting average (.214, five), innings pitched (106.1, third) and ERA (fifth). A first-team All-Big 12 selection, he allowed three runs or less in 13 of his 15 starts this season and finished his career ranked second on school lists in wins, strikeouts and innings pitched.

Opitz earned all-region honors for the first time in his career with his second-team selection. A 12th-round pick by the Chicago Cubs, Opitz hit .339 with 11 homers and 50 RBIs, leading the Huskers in all three triple crown categories. He also topped the Huskers in runs scored (51), multi-hit (22) and multi-RBI (16) games, while earning NCAA Lincoln Regional honors. A four-year starter at second base, Opitz finished his career on NU’s top-10 list in games played (225, seventh) and assists (569, fourth).